Cleaning and washing machine



-"F 1, 1947' I. P. oENYssEN ETAL CLEANING AND vmsruue imam:

2 Shasta-Sheet 2 Filed Jun; 6, 1942 F/EHFYF'D W STFINLEY Patented Mar. 11, 1947 UNITED STATES rn'rsrrr QFFIC'E'II CLEANING AND WASHING MACHINE Ivanhoe Peter Denyssen, Yeadon, and Richard W. Stanley, Drexel Hill, Pa., asslgnors to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a

corporation .of Delaware Application June 6, 1942, Serial No. 446,016

16 Claims. (01. 134-152) It is an object to provide a device which is ca- I pable of applying a cleaning fluid in an eflicient manner to thoroughly clear the perforations of the spinnerets or the surfaces, perforations and other portions of the objects desired to be cleaned.

'Another object is to efliciently clean a plurality of spinnerets or other objects during a single operation. A further object is to clean a plurality of faces of such objects during a single operation and, in the case of perforated objects, such as spinnerets, to alternately apply the cleaning fluid to the perforations from opposite sides of the objects. A further object is to providea device for automatically moving the spinnerets and the means for applying the cleaning fluid relative to one another in a predetermined manner to effect complete traversal by the fluid applyingmeans of all the surfaces to be cleaned. Another object is to provide for automatically stopping the cleaning operation upon completion of the clean-, ing of each charge. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the drawing and the description thereof hereinafter.

In the drawing, illustrative of the invention,

Figure 1 is, with the exception of a few parts which will be apparent from the description hereinafter, a transverse cross-section taken on line I-I of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross-section taken on line II-II of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Figure 2, I

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV.of Figure 2, 1

Figure 5 is a developed elevation of a modifled form of cylindrical cam,

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic showing of the relative path of one of the cleaning nozzles with respect to the spinneret facing it obtained by the use of the device of Figure 1. I

Figure 7 is a crosssectional view taken on the line VII-V11 of Figure 1, g

Figure 8.15 a detail view showing a cleaning nozzle in cross-section.-

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of one form of object-holder, and Figure 10 shows diagrammatically a circuit for automatically stopping the device.

In general, the machine comprises a base 2 for supporting the driving mechanism 3 and an upright cylinder 4 within which a tubular member 5 is supported for vertical reciprocation. .A head 6 which carries the object holder 1, is mounted for oscillatory motion with respect to the tubular member 5 and is connected by means of a flexible diaphragm 8 to the top of a casing 9 which is mounted upon the base 2 and houses the driving mechanism 3 of the device. A hood iii of suitable shape is mounted above the casing 9 and is provided with a plurality of spray nozzles H for applying a cleaning fluid to theobjects which are moved in a manner hereinafter described within the hood. The head 6 and flexible diaphragm] serve as a septum to prevent any of the fluid used for cleaning from entering the casing 8 within which the operating-mechanism 3 is housed. A suitable drain connection I2 may be provided at the base of the hood and a cover It may be provided in the top of the hood it to permit ready insertion of and removal of the objects to be cleaned. i

The holder I of the objects to be cleaned is more particularly shown in Figure 9 and comprises two parallel plates It provided with apertures l5 adapted to receive a cylindrical spinneret l6 whose flanges H are held between the two plates. Theapertures I! in the two plates are substantially of the same size and substantially in register. The two plates 14 charged with the spinnerets it are adapted tov slide within the grooved ways I! (see Figure 2) provided in the upright sides and, if desired, in the base I of the U- V shaped holder. 7 The plates may be adapted to receive any number of vertical rows of spinnerets, six being shown in Figure 2. Different plates may be provided to receive spinnerets of different sizes and when smaller splnnerets are being treated, a greater number of spinnerets may be placed in a vertical row within any given machine having agiven size of U-shaped holder.

As appears from Figure 1, two rows of spray nozzles II are disposed in the hood Ill to'one side of the holder I and a third row vertically offset from the other two is disposed in the hood on the other side of the holder. Each of the three rows preferably has as many spray nozzles II as there are vertical rows of spinnerets in the holder and these nozzles are disposed so that one in each row faces one of the vertical rows of spinnerets.

ly fine sharp jet of the fluid be employed when objects which have perforations of relatively small diameter require cleaning. Figure 8 shows a common form of nozzle adapted to provide such a fine jet of fluid. The'particular nozzle shown has the further advantage of being self- 1 cleaning, beingprovided with a fixed pin against which the nozzle sleeve 2i is forced by spring 22 when the cleaning fluid is periodically shut off at thetermination of each operating The pin is tapered to a point so that its end enters the orifice of the nozzle and forces any f when the cleaning fluid is cycle.

foreign particles out shut off.

The driving mechanism 3 for effecting the relwhich the holder I is mounted and the vertical component may be continuous ormore or less intermittent vertical rise of the head 6 which is imparted by means of the tubular member 5.

The system for imparting the horizontal component of the motion of the head 6 and holder 1 may be understood by referring to Figures 1, 2, and '7. The tubular member. 5 has mounted'for rotation therein two cylindrical members 23 and 24 each of which is attached to a short vertical sleeve 25 by means of the ribs 26. Two pins 21 mounted for rotation within the sleeves 25act as the sole supporting connection of the head 6 to the tubular member 5. The base of the cylindrical member. 24 is provided with internal longitudinal grooves 28 (see Figure '7) adapted to cooperate with the splined, shaft 29 rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing in the base of the machine. Oscillation of this splined shaft 29 is accomplished by lever 38 and link 3i the former of which is keyed or otherwise secured to rotate with the splined shaft and the latter is provided with a bored end 32. for embracingan eccentric 33 on the plate 34 rotated by a shaft 35 .within the base of the machine. This shaft 35 is connected to be'driven by the motor 38 through a series of gears 31 and 38, 39 and 48. 4i and 42, and 43 and 44. A mechanism comprising a slide a block 45 and grooved plate 45 is interposed between gears 42 and 43. Figure 3-is a view look.- ing down upon this portion of the mechanism. The slide block 45 is rotatably, mounted eccentrically on gear '42 and slideswithin the groove 4'! in the more or less diamond-shaped plate it which is mounted for rotation with the lower gear 43. The axis of gear 43 is ofisetfrom that of gear 42 a distance which is difierent than the distance between the block 45 and the axis of the upper gear 42. The purpose of this mechanism is to convert what would ordinarily be a simple harmonic motion to a, motion of theeccentric 33 which imparts a more nearly constant "speed of oscillation of the holder 1 for the spinslide block and grooved omitted and replaced nerets. If desired, this plate connection may be by a suitable gear connectionbut it ispreferred to employ this mechanism in order to obtain the most efficient use of the cleaning fluid.

In order to impart a vertical component to the Any form of spray means may be ernplayed. It is preferred, however, that a relativeoperate-simultaneously to motion to the spinneret holdmotion of the spinneret holder I, tubular member 5 is provided with a transverse cross-pin 48,

the ends of which project beyond the exterior,

cylindrical surface of the member. The station- 5 ary cylinder 4 is provided with a pair of opposite vertical slots. 49 through which the pin 48 is adapted to extend and a cylindrical camplate 58 r is secured to a cylindrical member 5| which is mounted for rotation within a suitable circular guideway 52 within the base of the machine. The cam 58 has its upper edge out to form an incline upon which one end of the pin 48 rides. The rotatable cylinder 5| upon which the cam plate is mounted is provided with an internal gear 53 which meshes with a gear 54 keyed to a shaft 55 mountedwithin the base of the machine. This shaft 55 is driven intermittently through the following connections. Mounted onthe shaft 35 for rotation therewith is the driving wheel 56 of a Geneva type of intermittent mechanism (more particularly shown in Figures 3 and 4) which driving wheel is provided with pins 51 for inter-. mittently entering the radial slots 58 of the star wheel 59 mounted for rotation with the shaft, carrying the pinion 6i which meshes with the gear 82 for driving the shaft 55 and the gear 54 which ultimately drives 58 through its internal gear 53. The shaft 50 carrying the star wheel 59 extends internallyof and freely rotates with respect to the shaft carrymg gear 43 and grooved plate 46. The ratios of the various gears are such that the intermittent mechanism rotates the cylindrical cam 50 through a fraction of a revolution in a direction ,5 and the spinneret holder 1 at the end of each oscillatory stroke of that holder.v The amount of the rise is also predetermined to cause the area of the spinneret which is directly sprayed by the jet to slightly overlap that sprayed in the imme-- The path of I5 is indicated diately previous oscillatory stroke. the spray relative to a spinneret by the dotted line of Figure 6. v d

The-base 2 of the machine may be provided to cooperate with a plunger fastened to the bottom of theverticallyreciprocable tubular member 5 to cushion its fall which occurs preferably at the beginning of operation of the machine as willbe described hereinafter. The dash pct 84 is provided with a constricted opening to the oil man 83 and a communicating channel 61 to an oil line 68 so that upon eachfall of the reciprocable tubular member 5, oil is'pumped to the bearing surfaces within whichthe reciprocable member 5 d operates andv from there through the conduit 58 to the top of-the gear trains of the driving anism.

Thecylindricai cam plate 56 maybe provided I go with a projecting finger in in vertical alignment with the highest portion of the cam surface. A limiting switch ii having contact members 12 and i3 is provided adjacent the cylindrical cam 53. Contact 13 is fixed while a spring metal arm into contact with '53 but isadapted to be separated therefrom when a projection .15 of insulating material is brought into contact with the projection won the cam plate 58 in'the manner'shown 70 in Figure 2. The switch H is arranged so that the contact members I2 and 13 are in,approxi-' mate vertical alignment with-the transversepin 48 so that its opening occursiwhen thepin 48 is at the highest point of the cam surf ace 50. This limiting switch ll may be connected by any suitthe cylindrical cam plate such that the. cam elevates the tubular member with an oil pan 63 and a dash pct 64 adapted mech- "supports contact" so that it is normally biased able circuit to effect stopping of the motor 88. One form of circuit is shown in Figure 10 where two coils 16 and 11 are shown in series with the switch contacts 12 and 18. The coil 16 when energized is adapted to act upon'a core 18 to close the switch blades 19 to connect the motor to the line (3 phase being shown). The coil l1 when energized opens the valve 80 in the fluid supply line through the core 81. Springs 82 and 88 normally' oppose the action of the coils I6 and II respectively and upon de-energization of the coils, these springs open switch blades 18 and close the valve 80. A stop switch 84 which is normally held closed by a spring may be provided for making emergency stops. There is also provided a starting switch 85 which is shunted across the contacts 12 and [3. This switch 85 is normally held open by a spring.

As will appear from the description hereinabove, the holder 'lis inits uppermost position at the time of loading, which is the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. Thereupon the starting switch 85 is manually closed until the projection Iii on the cylindrical cam plate 50 separates from projection 15 to permit closing of the contacts 12 and 13 of the limiting switch H. The sprays and the motor 36 start immediately upon the closing of the switch 85 and the tubular member with,

the spinneret holder 1 falls to its lowermost position, the dash pot 84 cushioning such fall, and the holder 1 is oscillated back and forth, such oscillation being'accompa'niedwith an intermittent treated. Normally, in the application to spin.- nerets, it is preferred to use a. form of organic solvent capable of dissolving rapidly the particularmaterial with which the spinneret perforation may be clogged or contaminated.

While it is preferred to employ a, plurality of rows of spray nozzles as shown in Figures land 2. it is nevertheless within the contemplation of the invention to omit one, or all except one, horizontal row of such nozzles, particularly where it is not desired to clean both surfaces of an object.

'While preferred embodiments of the invention nave been shown, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without'departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim: I 1. In apparatus for cleaning objects, means for holding the object to be cleaned, means for sprayvertical motion at the end of each oscillatory stroke so that the topmost horizontal row of spinnerets IS in the holder 1 are subjected to the sprays of the lowermost row of nozzles ll, then to the sprays from the nozzles .II on the other side of the spinneret holder 1, and finally to the top row of nozzles II. The arrangement is such that the portions of the spinnerets l6 which have just been cleaned continuously move up into the region above the sprays I I where they are neither affected by the sprays or by drlppings therefrom.

Figure 5 shows a developed view in elevation of a modified form of cylindrical cam plate 58. As compared to that of Figures 1 and 2 which has a cam surface of constant slope except at the position of vertical drop, that of Figure 5 has a number of equally spaced sharp rises 88 which alternate with the more gently sloped portions 81 of the cam surface which extend through a greater fraction of the periphery of the cam plate 50. In this embodiment, each gently sloped portion 81 effects an elevation of the spinneret holder 1 a distance equal to the diameter of a spinneret-i8 which elevation may be performed by about 8 to 20 strokes of the intermittent mechanism and g each short and more steeply sloped portion 88 of the cam surface causes the elevation of the spinneret holder 1 a distance equal to the vertical distance between the spinnerets in adjacent horizontal rows and this elevation is preferably effected in a single stroke of the intermittent.

ing a cleaning fluid against said object, means for oscillating, at substantially uniform linear speed, the object back and forth past the spray means, andmeans'for intermittently moving the object past the spraymeans in a direction transverse to the direction of oscillation.

2. In apparatus for cleaning objects, means for holding the object to be cleaned, means for spraying a cleaning fluid against said object, means for oscillating the object back and forth past the spray means, and means forintermittently moving the object past the spray means in' a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of oscillation approximately at the end of each oscillatory stroke. v

3. In apparatus for cleanin objects, a carrier for holding a plurality of objects to be cleaned in a plurality of rows, at least one row of means for spraying a cleaning fluid against said objects. 'means for oscillating the objects back and forth in a direction parallel to that of the row of spray means and means for moving the object past the spraying means in a direction transverse to the direction of oscillation intermittently at approximately the end of each oscillatory stroke.

4.1x; apparatus for cleaning objects, a carrier for holding a plurality of objects to be cleaned in a plurality of rows, at least one row of means .for spraying a cleaning fluid against said objects,

means for oscillating the carrier and thereby the 3 objects back and forth past the spray means,

. means for moving the carrier in a direction transverse to the direction of oscillation intermittently at approximately the end of each oscillatory stroke a fraction of the distance across said objects and means for moving the carrier to bring the next row of objects in the carrier in a single stroke into opposition to the spray'means upon direction of oscillation intermittently at approxijects, means for holding the objects to be cleaned,

meansfor spraying a cleaning fluid against said object in succession from opposite sides of said object in the approximate direction of the perforations, means for oscillating the object back and forth past the spray means, means for moving the object past the spray meansin a direc-- tion transverse to the direction of oscillation intermittently at approximately the end of each oscillatory stroke, the spray means on one side of the object-holding means being offset from the spray means on the other side in the direction of one component of the relative motion.

7. In apparatus for cleaning perforated objects, a carrier for holding a plurality of objects to be cleaned in a plurality of rows, a plurality of rows of means for spraying a cleaning fluid against said objects in succession from opposite sides of said object, means for oscillating the carrier so that the object oscillates back and forth past the spray means adjacent them, means for moving the carrier with the object past the drical cam having a sloped surface; a pin sespray means in a direction transverse to the di- I 7 rection' of oscillation intermittently at approximately the end of each oscillatory stroke, said rows of spray means being offset in the direction of intermittent motion a distance approximately equal to the center to center distance of the corresponding rows of objects in the carrier.

8. In apparatus for cleaning objects, means for spraying a fluid, a carrier for said objects, a slidable member, means on said slidable member mounted pivotally on an axis substantially arallel to the direction of sliding for supporting said carrier, means for oscillating said carrier supporting means about its axis, and means for sliding said slidable member. Z

9. In apparatus for cleaning objects. means for spraying a fluid, a carrier for said objects, a vertically movable member, means on said member mounted pivotally on a substantially vertical axis for supporting said carrier, means for oscillating said carrier supporting means about its axis, and means for intermittently elevating said member substantially at the end of each oscillatory stroke of said carrier supporting means.

10. In apparatus for cleaning objects, at least I i one row of .means for spraying cleaning fluid, a

carrier for the objects, a member slidable in a direction transverse of the spray means row, at

, least two members on said slidable member mounted pivotally on substantially parallel axes lying substantially in a plane substantially paral-- lel to the direction of motion of. the slidable member and to the spray means row, said carrier be,-

' ing pivotally connected to each of said pivotal members to form the fourth side of a parallelogram linkage, means for oscillating said one row of means for spraying cleaning fluid extending substantially horizontally, a carrier for the objects, a substantially vertically movable member, at least two members on said movable member mounted pivotally on substantially ver tical axes, said carrier being pivotally connected one row of means for spraying cleaning fluid extending in a horizontal direction, a carrier for the objects, avvertically movable tubular member, at least wto members mounted pivotally on substantially vertical axesjwithin the tubular mem ber, said carrier being pivotally connected to each of the pivotal members to form the fourth side of a parallelogram linkage, one of said pivotal members being provided with an internal sleeve having substantially vertical grooves, a splined shaft vertically slidable in said grooved pivotal member, means for oscillating said splined shaft, a cylindrical cam having a sloped surface, a pin secured to said tubular member'extending trans versely therefrom and arranged to ride upon said sloped surface, and means for effecting a partial rotation of said cam intermittently approximately at the end of each oscillatory stroke of said parallelogram linkage. I

13. In apparatus for cleaning objects, a casing, ahood mounted over an opening in said casing, means for spraying a cleaning fluid mounted on said hood, a carrier for'supporting the objects in said hood, a fiexible'diaphragm secured to said carrier below the carrier and secured to the juncture between the hood and casing to seal the com municating opening between the casing andthe hood, operating mechanism in said casing comprising means for oscillating said carrier in one direction, and means for intermittently moving said carrier in a direction transverse to that of oscillation substantially at the end of. each oscillatory stroke.

14. In apparatus for cleaning perforated objects, means for holding the object to be cleaned,

.means for spraying a cleaning fluid against said object in succession from opposite sides of said object in the approximate direction of the perforations therein, means for imparting. relative reciprocatory motion between the object and spray means, said motion being substantially parallel to a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of the perforations, and means for imparting relative motion betweenthe object and spray means in a direction transverse of thatof the flrstmentioned relative motionand substantially perpendicular to the direction of the perforations thereby to relatively traverse the spray means through a path succeeding generally parallel portions of which are disposed in oppositio to adjacent strips of the object surface.

15. In apparatus for cleaning perforated objects, means for holding the object to be cleaned, means 'for spraying a cleaning fluid against said object in succession from opposite sides of said object in the approximate direction of the perforations therein, means for imparting relative reciprocatory motion between the object and spray means, said motion being substantially parallel to a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of the perforations, and means for imparting relative motion between the object and spray means in a direction transversely of that of the first mentioned relative motion and substantially perpendicular'tothe direction of the perforations thereby ,to relatively traverse the spraymeans through a path succeeding generally parallel portions of which are disposed in opposition to adjacent strips of the object surface,

the spray means on one side of the object-holding means being oifset from the spray means on the other side in the direction of one of said relative motions. a

16. In. apparatus for cleaning objects, means for holding the object to be cleaned, means for spraying a cleaning fluid against said object, means for reciprocating the object back and forth past the spray' means, and means for intermittently moving the object past the spray means in a direction transverse to the direction of reciprocation.

IVANHOE PETER DENYSSEN. RICHARD W. STANLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number French Aug. 2, 1932 

